Harlem Globetrotter visits College Station school

COLLEGE STATION -- The Harlem Globetrotters are in the business of entertaining families worldwide with their impressive basketball skills but that's not all they do.

Today basketball player, Buckets Blakes, made a special appearance at a College Station elementary school to teach kids all about "CHEER."

It started out like any other school day for fourth grader Erin Ross but that all changed when Harlem Globetrotter, Bucket Blakes, showed up at Pebble Creek Elementary.

"Yeah it's a really special thing," said Ross. "It's a one in a million chance to get to meet a Globetrotter."

Buckets visited the school during a special assembly where he talked about the Globetrotter's CHEER program.

"Cheer is an acronym," said Buckets. "The 'C' is cooperation, the 'H' is healthy mind and body, the first 'E' is for effort and the second enthusiasm, and the 'R' is responsibility."

The program was developed in 2004 with help from the US Department of Education. It aims to encourage children to follow the five character traits.

"When they come across any hard obstacles in their lives they'll be able to fall back on some of the things hopefully that we share with them today," Buckets said.

And while the assembly may have seemed like it was all fun and play, students say they're walking away with a new perspective.

Fourth grader, Garrett Wareing said, "I learned what CHEER meant and and just to smile when you're feeling glum."

Erin Ross added, "Responsibility is really important and when you're not in the best of times you just smile and get back up so I think that, and effort and I think that was really nice of him to come here."

Buckets and the rest of his teammates will be back in College Station on Monday to play at Reed Arena.

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